Author: Kajoyan Gevork

YEREVAN MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS OVER; LONG LIVE DEMOCRACY IN ARMENIA

13:03, May 6, 2013
By Christian Garbis

A polling station in Yerevan
The Yerevan municipal elections were held on May 5, complete
withreported violations and harassment and subsequent criticisms. The
ruling Republican Party of Armenia secured 58 percent of the vote and
thus will determine the next mayor of Yerevan, who’s most definitely
incumbent Taron Markarian. Prosperous Armenia Party and the Barev
Yerevan movement garnered 20 percent and 8.7 percent, respectively.

Voter turnout was 53.5 percent. All other opposition parties/ blocks
were shut out.

Many political parties that are in opposition to the government
or still on the fence were putting their faith in these elections,
hoping that democracy would work in their favor this time around and
system-wide reform would begin in Yerevan. Onlookers from thousands
of miles away will be eager to see the election results and make
their judgments about political successes and failures accordingly.

Despite past monitoring efforts by European structures like the OSCE
and the pretense of transparency, it has been very easy to falsify the
vote -not to mention essential in order to retain power-in nearly every
election. Not only are games played at the polling stations-forging
signatures on voter lists, ballot stuffing, bribing, carousel voting,
harassment and so forth, numbers are undoubtedly being conjured behind
closed doors at the Central Election Commission (CEC). Naturally,
this cannot be proven for certain since the CEC ultimately reports
to the president, just as all state bodies do.

In other words, the conclusion that the candidate or party that
acquires the most votes is the real winner is a naïve sentiment for
the simple fact that democracy and the rule of law are not allowed to
function properly so long as the president of Armenia does not value
that system of governance. And I don’t only mean Serge Sargsyan-his
two predecessors also behaved essentially as dictators. The president
has complete control over all governmental agencies and institutions,
and ultimately he has the final say as to how something will play out.

If governmental corruption for instance is to be stamped out, he
must have the will to do it, not only the prime minister, who clearly
doesn’t or else is powerless to do so. The judiciary likewise reports
to the president; it can act independently in low-profile cases where
private interests are not at stake. When the president wishes for a
ruling to be made one way or another, the judge holding the verdict
is obliged to carry out his wishes, or be dismissed.

The CEC is no exception to the rule. The head of the commission also
caters to the whims, or rather the shrewd planning, of the president.

In other words, the “official results” of the elections cannot be
taken at face value as being legitimate and a just expression of
will by the people. The doctrine of legitimacy is prescribed by the
president of Armenia alone.

Sunday’s vote was falsified again simply because the authorities
could get away with it, as was made quite obvious in February’s
presidential elections, while managing to gain praise from Russia,
Europe and the United States in the aftermath.

And when communities in the Diaspora continue to ignore violations
of democratic values by blindly embracing the outcome of the vote (or
remaining indifferent), despite any blatant flaws that were revealed,
the Armenian citizenry is let down knowing that its compatriots based
abroad are unsupportive of its plight.

Until the Armenian nation fully embraces democracy, the same free and
fair elections that Western nations covet as the purest demonstration
of freedom cannot be held. The determination is necessary, along with
the much-needed collective consensus on the vote from the Diaspora.

This time around, it is vital for Armenian communities worldwide,
which have expressed their concern and support for Armenia’s freedom,
to carefully read about the violations that were reported by the
Armenian press throughout the day (notable news sources include Hetq
Online,RFE/RL, A1+ and Civilnet).

One hundred observers from the Diaspora were purportedly monitoring the
municipal elections. Their crucial findings will need to be considered
quite carefully in determining whether democracy in Armenia can indeed
flourish, as it should.

Content-Type: MESSAGE/RFC822; CHARSET=US-ASCII
Content-Description:

MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
From: Mihran Keheyian
Subject: Yerevan Municipal Elections Over; Long Live Democracy in Armenia

Yerevan Municipal Elections Over; Long Live Democracy in Armenia
13:03, May 6, 2013
By Christian Garbis

A polling station in Yerevan
The Yerevan municipal elections were held on May 5, complete
withreported violations and harassment and subsequent criticisms. The
ruling Republican Party of Armenia secured 58 percent of the vote and
thus will determine the next mayor of Yerevan, who?s most definitely
incumbent Taron Markarian. Prosperous Armenia Party and the Barev
Yerevan movement garnered 20 percent and 8.7 percent, respectively.
Voter turnout was 53.5 percent. All other opposition parties/ blocks
were shut out.

Many political parties that are in opposition to the government or
still on the fence were putting their faith in these elections, hoping
that democracy would work in their favor this time around and
system-wide reform would begin in Yerevan. Onlookers from thousands of
miles away will be eager to see the election results and make their
judgments about political successes and failures accordingly.

Despite past monitoring efforts by European structures like the OSCE
and the pretense of transparency, it has been very easy to falsify the
vote ?not to mention essential in order to retain power?in nearly
every election. Not only are games played at the polling
stations?forging signatures on voter lists, ballot stuffing, bribing,
carousel voting, harassment and so forth, numbers are undoubtedly
being conjured behind closed doors at the Central Election Commission
(CEC). Naturally, this cannot be proven for certain since the CEC
ultimately reports to the president, just as all state bodies do.

In other words, the conclusion that the candidate or party that
acquires the most votes is the real winner is a naïve sentiment for
the simple fact that democracy and the rule of law are not allowed to
function properly so long as the president of Armenia does not value
that system of governance. And I don?t only mean Serge Sargsyan?his
two predecessors also behaved essentially as dictators. The president
has complete control over all governmental agencies and institutions,
and ultimately he has the final say as to how something will play out.
If governmental corruption for instance is to be stamped out, he must
have the will to do it, not only the prime minister, who clearly
doesn?t or else is powerless to do so. The judiciary likewise reports
to the president; it can act independently in low-profile cases where
private interests are not at stake. When the president wishes for a
ruling to be made one way or another, the judge holding the verdict is
obliged to carry out his wishes, or be dismissed.

The CEC is no exception to the rule. The head of the commission also
caters to the whims, or rather the shrewd planning, of the president.
In other words, the ?official results? of the elections cannot be
taken at face value as being legitimate and a just expression of will
by the people. The doctrine of legitimacy is prescribed by the
president of Armenia alone.

Sunday?s vote was falsified again simply because the authorities could
get away with it, as was made quite obvious in February?s presidential
elections, while managing to gain praise from Russia, Europe and the
United States in the aftermath.

And when communities in the Diaspora continue to ignore violations of
democratic values by blindly embracing the outcome of the vote (or
remaining indifferent), despite any blatant flaws that were revealed,
the Armenian citizenry is let down knowing that its compatriots based
abroad are unsupportive of its plight.

Until the Armenian nation fully embraces democracy, the same free and
fair elections that Western nations covet as the purest demonstration
of freedom cannot be held. The determination is necessary, along with
the much-needed collective consensus on the vote from the Diaspora.
This time around, it is vital for Armenian communities worldwide,
which have expressed their concern and support for Armenia?s freedom,
to carefully read about the violations that were reported by the
Armenian press throughout the day (notable news sources include Hetq
Online,RFE/RL, A1+ and Civilnet).

One hundred observers from the Diaspora were purportedly monitoring
the municipal elections. Their crucial findings will need to be
considered quite carefully in determining whether democracy in Armenia
can indeed flourish, as it should.

CE CONGRESS OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL AUTHORITIES URGES ARMENIA’S AUTHORITIES TO INCREASE VOTERS’ CONFIDENCE

14:42 ~U 06.05.13

A 12-member delegation of the Council of Europe Congress composed of
representatives from nine European countries, including three members
of the EU Committee of the Regions, has observed the elections for
the Yerevan Council of Elders on May 5, 2013. At a press conference
in Yerevan, the Head of the delegation and Rapporteur, Stewart
Dickson (UK, ILDCG), presented preliminary conclusions following
the observation of this vote by which also the Mayor of Yerevan
was elected.

Congress Rapporteur Dickson stated that, with the exception of
individual incidents in a few polling stations, the elections were
carried out in a calm and orderly manner and the vote was technically
prepared, although the counting process, which at times looked chaotic
and was slow, needs further improvement. He also stressed that the
composition of the Precinct Election Commissions – as stipulated by
the Electoral Code, each party and alliance represented in Parliament
had one representative and there were two representatives of the
Constituency Election Commission – ensured better opportunities for
the contesters to scrutinize each other.

He also mentioned cameras present in each polling station and extensive
filming which created the impressions of overly controlled processes,
and the large number of domestic observers whose NGO or media remained
ambiguous to the members of the Congress delegation.

Already prior to Election Day, the delegation became positively aware
of a higher level of political competition among parties and alliances
but also heard reports by some interlocutors about pressure exerted on
public service employees to vote in a certain way and persuade also
other voters and there was the recurring issue of vote-buying. There
was also a question of those citizens who no longer live in Yerevan
but have stayed on the population register and thus on the voters’
lists. “I think that these problems have to be urgently addressed by
the Armenian authorities – local issues should be decided by citizens
actually residing in a certain community and an election climate
without intimidations or cash incentives is key for the confidence
of the voters,” underlined Dickson.

He invited the authorities to seize the opportunity of the up-coming
Council of Europe Chairmanship of Armenia to improve voters’ confidence
in electoral process. “The Council of Europe Venice Commission said
that the new Electoral Code of Armenia has the potential to ensure the
conduct of democratic elections but legislation alone cannot ensure
this. It is the exercise of political will buy all the stakeholders –
and I mean government opposition – which makes the difference. There
was to be fair play without intimidations and other infringements prior
to Election Day and there have to be complaint and appeal procedures
for an effective remedy in which citizens can have confidence. Only
such an environment can ensure genuinely domestic elections and thus
improve the confidence of voters in electoral processes. I am confident
that Armenia’s Chairmanship will bring a move forward in this respect,”
Dickson concluded.

Armenian News – Tert.am

Portrait with many faces

The Boston Globe
May 05, 2013

By Jaclyn Reiss, Globe Correspondent

As Watertown was thrust into the national spotlight because of a
violent gunfight and a daylong manhunt in the aftermath of the Boston
Marathon bombings, members of the news media and analysts unfamiliar
with the area searched for a way to describe the town that shares
borders with both Boston and Cambridge.

Some called the town `sleepy,’ and others described it as a bedroom
community for commuters who flock to big cities nearby for work. Those
who live in Greater Boston might know Watertown for its popular
big-box stores such as Target and Best Buy, the retail shops in the
Arsenal Mall, or its Registry of Motor Vehicles office.

But people who live there know there is plenty more to Watertown.

It is a close-knit community of 32,000 sharing just 4 square miles,
bounded by the Charles River for much of its southern edge, with
strong working-class neighborhoods, reasonable housing costs, a large
Armenian population, and a well-established cultural scene of
restaurants, shops, and the arts.

It is a place where families often stay for generations but newcomers
add to a varied mix, where politics is steeped in New England
skepticism, and people are quick to demand value for their tax
dollars.

=80=9COver the years, there are so many meetings where the first thing
people say when they get up to speak is, `I’m a lifelong resident,’ or
`I’ve been here 40 or 60 years,’=80=89′ said Mark Sideris, the Town
Council president. `People take pride in how long they’ve been in
Watertown. People raise their families here, and now their children
live in Watertown.’

The median household income is about $77,000, according to recent
census data, about two-thirds of the figures for neighboring Belmont
and Newton. And the median price for a house is $409,000, or about 60
percent of the figures for those two adjacent communities.

In Watertown Square, a bus terminus offers connections to the regional
public transit network. The streets branching off from a small green
are lined with a diverse collection of restaurants, from
American-style diners that have lines out the door during weekend
breakfast hours to a vegetarian spot that serves vegan beer and
wine. Those craving a boost of culture often buy tickets to the latest
eclectic jazz show or theatrical production at the Arsenal Center for
the Arts.

Watertown residents root for the Red Sox, of course, but also for
their kids playing Little League or for the Watertown High School
Raiders at Victory Field. Last year, the girls’ field hockey team won
its fourth state championship.

As kudos flowed in for the job Watertown police did in tracking down
the suspects in the April 15 bombings, Police Chief Edward Deveau was
quick to point out someone from the New England Patriots requested a
department sweatshirt for coach Bill Belichick to wear at the NFL
draft.

`That’s no joke,’ the chief said after a recent Town Council meeting,
a few days before the coach wore the hoodie at the podium on draft
night.

Watertown was cast into the spotlight following the bombings that
killed three Marathon bystanders and injured more than 260. The two
suspects – 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev and his 19-year-old brother,
Dzhokhar =80′ confronted police in the Laurel Street neighborhood of
Watertown early on April 19. A gun battle ensued and Tamerlan was
killed. His brother managed to escape, but was captured that evening
in a nearby backyard where he was found hiding in a boat.

Authorities aren’t sure why the Tsarnaev brothers ended up in
Watertown, after they allegedly killed MIT police officer Sean
A. Collier in Cambridge, and hijacked a Mercedes SUV in Boston. Law
enforcement officials said investigators are looking into any links to
the brothers in Watertown.

The shoot-out and subsequent manhunt were not the first time that
Watertown surfaced in the investigation of a terrorist incident.

In May 2010, two Pakistani men living in Watertown were taken into
custody by authorities investigating a failed car bombing in New
York’s Times Square that had been attempted by Pakistani-born Faisal
Shahzad. One of the men pleaded guilty to unlicensed money
transmitting, after Shahzad’s part in the off-the-books system drew
the attention of police. Both men were cleared by federal officials of
having any role in Shahzad’s terror plot.

Like many New England towns, Watertown was once a mecca for
manufacturing, but it is now home to white-collar businesses such as
Tufts Health Plan, as well as entrepreneurial start-ups, and
engineering and architectural firms.

According to state labor officials, Watertown’s employers represented
a combined job market of 19,000 positions as of last September. With
data showing 18,600 residents are employed, in town or elsewhere, the
near balance undercuts its reputation as a bedroom community.

`We’re a very popular destination for start-ups that had some success
but have trouble adding space because of rents in Cambridge,’ said
Steve Magoon, the town’s economic development director. `We’ve been
getting a lot of those companies who have found some success in
Watertown.’

The town is also going through something of an upsurge in housing. In
recent years, Planning Board officials approved a total of 650 new
apartment and condominium units along a 1.2-mile stretch of Pleasant
Street, which hugs the Charles River.

Even with the new development, residents actively prefer to keep their
town’s New England legacy intact – and regularly succeed. Spirited
crowds recently loudly opposed a Walmart coming to town, with the
result that the chain abandoned its plans for the store. And
neighborhood resistance to a complex adding 14 condominiums along
Pleasant Street helped kill the proposal.

Census figures show Watertown is home to a wide variety of
ethnicities, including residents of Irish, Italian, French, English,
German, Greek, Russian, Polish, Portugese, Arab, and African heritage.

But the most prominent group are Armenians. The US Census Bureau says
there are between 1,700 and 3,000 Armenians in Watertown, but local
Armenians think the population is larger. Their community’s
identification with Watertown is strong, bolstered by the presence of
the Armenian Library and Museum of America and several Armenian
churches.

Many Armenians immigrated to America in the 20th century looking to
escape persecution in their native land, and many settled in the
Watertown area because jobs were often available at Hood Rubber Co.,
on the east side of town. The factory, founded in 1896, served as a
major local employer for nearly 75 years, hiring as many as 10,000
laborers at its peak.

Now, a cluster of Armenian restaurants and shops near Coolidge Square
is known as =80=9CLittle Armenia,’ while headquarters for national
Armenian newspapers and organizations are located throughout town.

`They want to be able to walk down the street and hear their native
language spoken, and also be able to walk to church and other places
around town,’ said Gary Lind-Sinanian, curator of the Armenian Library
and Museum on Main Street. `There’s only one community that fits that
profile, and that’s Watertown. It’s small and safe and people can walk
to places, and it just has that feeling.’

Susan Pattie, the museum’s executive director, said although she moved
to Watertown only six months ago, she sees a deep passion among
residents for their hometown.

`It’s very touching to see generations of people so attached to
Watertown,’ Pattie said. =80=9CIt’s a place where Armenians have
settled and become American, and carry on their heritage from the
past, but are also living in the present and creating this
Armenian-American culture.’

Jaclyn Reiss can be reached at [email protected].

Photo Captions:
“Watertown residents gathered to attend a candlelight vigil
at Victory Park on April 20” (Courtesy of Jared Wickerham/Getty
Images).
“The Armenian Library and Museum represents a significant local
legacy” (Josh Reynolds for The Boston Globe).
“The Arsenal Center for the Arts hosts a mix of music and theater
events” (Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff).
“The restaurant scene ranges from breakfast diners to late-night haute
cuisine” (Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff).
“The rejuvenated Charles River is central to
many outdoor activities” (Essdras M Suarez/Globe Staff).

EXPLOSION EXPECTED IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES

Yesterday Serzh Sargsyan visited the office of the prosecutor general
to introduce the head of the Special Investigative Service. Notably,
the prosecutor general Aghvan Hovsepyan did not attend the meeting.

Dwelling on the reasons of dismissal of the ex-head of the SIS,
Serzh Sargsyan mentioned the words “illicit action” and “stooge”,
describing the activities of the ex-head of the SIS in general, not one
particular case. Apparently, Serzh Sargsyan hints at the prosecutor
general because the head of the SIS could be his or someone else’s
stooge by definition.

Serzh Sargsyan’s meeting was unprecedented because for the first time
the reason of dismissal of an official and the situation in the system
was specified. Judging by today’s press reports where the stooge
arrows are aimed at different officials, Serzh Sargsyan’s statement
shattered the law enforcement system. Serzh Sargsyan’s instruction
to ignore friends and relatives was a signal to the law enforcement
agencies that the issue is serious.

The SIS is a key law enforcement agency which deals with important
cases. In particular, this organization investigated the case of
March 1. Now it is investigating the case of the financial pyramid
involving high-ranking officials and policemen. However, judging
by Serzh Sargsyan’s statements, the problem is not limited to the
financial pyramid but refers to a wider scope.

The point is that the law enforcement bodies of Armenia act in a
framework manner, and its different segments have been involved
in economic, racketeering, concocting and other schemes based on
mutual assistance. The courts, investigative bodies, the office of
the prosecutor’s general have joined in union to prevent failure of
any of the links of this system that would eventually threaten the
rest. One link is gone and the chain will break.

Apparently, a wide range of people is involved in this chain, and
Serzh Sargsyan’s instruction to the new head of SIS to confront
confidently with their friends and relatives. And it means that
an explosion is maturing in the law enforcement system and lots of
“stooges” will be dismissed.

15:35 07/05/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

RIGHT TO ARMS IN ARMENIA

14:55 ~U 07.05.13

Tert.am has inquired about the right to bear arms in Armenia.

Armenia’s Law on Arms regulates the right to bear arms. The law was
last amended on April 6, 2012.

Specifically, Armenian citizens of age have the right to purchase
civil arms provided they have police permits.

Armenian citizens can use arms to protect their life, health and
property, as well as in other special cases.

Each instance of using arms that caused harm to human health must be
reported to the police within 24 hours.

Citizens have the right to bear gas pistols and signal arms. The law
allows a citizen to own up to five pieces.

PARTNERS JOIN TO ADVANCE GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP IN ARMENIA

13:52 07.05.2013

On May 7, 2013, USAID/Armenia, Yerevan State University (YSU) and
Arizona State University (ASU) marked the official opening of the
new Center for Gender and Leadership Studies at YSU. The Center
will develop a new curriculum in women and gender studies, promote
career advancement for women university graduates, conduct outreach
activities, and advance public policy research on issues related to
gender equality and women’s leadership.

The initiative is part of a broader effort under the Women’s Leadership
Program that USAID and Higher Education for Development (HED) launched
in March 2013. Five universities in the United States were selected to
partner with higher education institutions in Armenia, Paraguay, Rwanda
and South Sudan to promote and develop curricula and opportunities for
women in business, agriculture, and education in the four countries.

ASU’s component of the program, funded by a $1.3 million award to
the Melikian Center in ASU’sCollege of Liberal Arts and Sciences,
leverages a decade of partnerships between the two universities.Over
the course of the three-year partnership, eight YSU scholars in areas
related to women’s studies will be inresidence in ASU’s women and
gender studies program within the School of Social Transformation
to participate in courses and develop syllabi and action-oriented
research goals. The scholars also will be engaged in courses in the
School of Public Affairs. The first group of scholars will arrive
for ASU’s Fall 2013 semester.

The newly established center will serve as a hub for the YSU Career
Center and university faculty working in this area,and will sponsor
student activities and outreach and extension efforts to promote
women’s leadership.

RUSSIAN COMPANIES CONSIDER NAIRIT CHEMICAL PLANT MODERNIZATION

May 7, 2013 – 13:52 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Russian company Itera, jointly with Rosneft OAO, is
considering the possibility of modernizing Armenia’s Nairit chemical
plant, Russian media reported.

Armenian acting Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Armen
Movsissyan earlier said that the plant modernization will cost about
$400-500 mln in investments.

In 2006, 90% of Nairit shares were sold to British Rainoville Property
Limited for $40, with Armenian government owning the rest 10% shares.

VILLAGERS ROLLED PIPES FOR POWER PLANT CONSTRUCTION INTO GORGE – VIDEO

While the political parties of Armenia are busy with clownery,
the people of Martz village of Lori region are fighting for their
environment.

Yesterday we learned that the son of the director of a company brought
pipes to launch the construction of a water power plant. During a
public hearing the people of Martz were univocally against the water
power plant.

A group of 40 people of the village rolled the pipes into the gorge.

Note that the Ministry of Environmental Protection has not made any
decision on water power plant. The second and third public hearings
have not been held yet. 400 of 600 villagers are above 18, 315 have
signed the petition against the water power plant. Three days ago
the environmental activist Levon Galstyan has passed the signatures
to the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

10:22 07/05/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

APA, Azerbaijan
May 4 2013

US universities discuss security in South Caucasus and Nagorno
Karabakh conflict – PHOTO

PHOTOSESSION
[ 04 May 2013 11:10 ]

Baku – APA. A delegation consisting of director of the Center for
Strategic Studies under the President of Azerbaijan Republic Farhad
Mammadov, deputy director Gulshan Pashayeva, leading research fellow
of Foreign Policy Analysis Department Kamal Makili-Aliyev and leading
research fellow of Foreign Policy Analysis Department Heydar Mirza
attended a round table organized at Princeton University.

SAM press service told APA that the round table was attended by
director of Princeton University Wolfgang Danspeckgruber, professors
and students of the institute. They exchanged views on `Security
issues and conflicts in the South Caucasus region’.

Moreover, other members of the delegation held a seminar on
`Azerbaijan is energy and transport center of the region’ at
University of Houston James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy.

At the seminar, SAM department chief Vusal Gasimli delivered lectures
on `Azerbaijan: Bridge for connecting Asia, Europe and Northern
Africa’, leading research fellow Gulmirza Rzayeva on `Azerbaijan and
energy security of Europe’ and research fellow Shahmar Hajiyev on
`America’s need for a strong partnership with Azerbaijan’. The
prospects for cooperation between the University of Houston James A.
Baker III Institute for Public Policy and SAM were also discussed.

One more lecture was held at Saint Louis and Washington University.
Senior research fellow of Domestic policy analysis Department Rauf
Garagozov delivered a lecture on `Collective memory and the role of
narrative attacks strategy in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict’.

Fight between PAP and Republican party members in polling station (video)

18:52 – 05.05.13

The fight in Malatia-Sebastia 07/15 polling station took place between
PAP member Jivan Poghosyan and head of the election commission,
Republican party member Samvel Zakharyan, azatutyun.am reports.

Commission chairman said Poghosyan several times entered the station
but did not vote and Zakharyan told him to leave the place after which
the fight started.

Zakharyan noted that the PAP member had a right to be there and to
vote but he periodically entered the station.

Jivan Poghosyan, included in the PAP list and head of PAP nearby
headquarters, said there was no fight with his engagement and
everything is all right.

Police press service told azatutyun.am that the Malatia police
department is invegistigating the case and prepares materials.